


Shooter: Dodging Bullets

by LazyDaizy



Series: Shooter [2]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Romance, Smut, child birth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-02
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-06-20 12:38:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15534423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LazyDaizy/pseuds/LazyDaizy
Summary: Shooter CodaJughead deals with his fears as the birth of his child looms closer and how will he handle a tragedy that could claim the life of someone he loves.





	Shooter: Dodging Bullets

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is and damn, this was hard to write. I hope it flows good and that you like it and i hope it was worth the wait!!

Betty leaned against the post on the front porch and watched Jughead chop wood. Still after all this time, when his anxiety hit him, he went out to either shoot his rifle or chop a winter’s worth of wood even though it was spring. It would come in handy for bon fires in the summer she supposed. She had noticed the closer she got to her due date, the more nervous he got.

Glancing down at her belly, Betty smiled and smoothed her hand over it. She had another month to go and their son would arrive and she was excited and nervous. When they had found out it was a boy, Jughead had been thrilled and had started making plans to teach him how to fish, to hunt, to chop wood and Betty could do nothing but laugh. When she had asked what he would teach if it had been a little girl, he had looked at her all confused and simply answered with ‘ _well, everything I just said_. Either way, he was going to ensure they knew survival skills.

She had been blessed with what everyone told her was a good pregnancy. She had minimal morning sickness and was strong and healthy and the baby was growing as it was supposed to right on schedule and the doctor had predicted an easy birth as well. She didn’t put much faith in that last part, because really, how could he possibly know that? From everything she had read, easy or not, it was going to hurt like hell.

Betty had decided that they weren’t going to get married until after the baby was born because she didn’t want to deal with the stress of planning a wedding, even though it would be small, while she was pregnant and she didn’t want to overwhelm Jughead with all the change. He had protested at first but she was firm in her stance on wanting their child with them on the outside of her womb while they pledged their lives to each other and he had finally relented.

A few minutes later, Jughead straightened and stretched his back as he looked in her direction. She gave him a small wave and he stuck the ax in the wood and headed towards her. 

“Hi love,” he said with a small smile as he came up the stairs. He paused to leave a kiss on her stomach before leaning in to leave one on her mouth.

“You all done? It’s pretty late already,” she informed him, brushing back his hair. “How was the workout?” she asked slyly, her hand moving to run down his muscular arm. For all the chopping he did, it kept him in incredible shape and she wasn’t complaining when his sexy body covered hers in bed.

“Would you mind if I finished with you?” he asked with a wink. 

“I wouldn’t mind at all,” Betty said with a smile as she took his hand and led him into the house. “You’re doing okay?” she asked softly as they walked up the stairs. 

“I’m alright,” he shrugged and she paused at the top and turned so she was eye level with him standing one step down.

“You’ve chopped enough wood this spring to last us 3 winters,” she chided with a gentle smile. 

“I’m just worried about you and this sweet nameless boy,” he sighed. “It’s so close and I just want everything to be okay.” Betty smiled and touched his face. This beautiful caring man.

“It will be okay, Jug. We’re going to be okay.” He just nodded but she could still see the anxiety over him. She took his hand and led him to the bathroom so he could take a shower. “Is that all you’re worried about?” 

“Let me take a shower,” he requested as he pulled his shirt off. She nodded and went into the bedroom and sat on the bed and looked at the beautiful cradle that Jughead had made for the baby before he got to use his nursery. He had spent weeks making sure it was perfect and her eyes filled with tears as she smoothed her hand over it. She was still sitting with her hand on it when Jughead walked into the bedroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. He settled on the bed and lay back with his hands behind his head. “What are you thinking about?” he asked after a moment. Betty wiped at her eyes and turned to him and a frown crossed his face. “Hey,” he said softly, taking her hand and pulling her down to him. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” she sighed. “I was just thinking about how wonderful you are and how much I love you.” 

“That all?” he prodded.

“Well, I was getting teary eyed over the beautiful cradle you made and I’m….”

“Tell me.”

“I’m worried,” she whispered, taking a deep breath.

“About me?”

“Yeah…and not because I think something will happen, I’m worried that you’re letting your worry get to you,” Betty said, hiding her face in his neck. She tried to get closer but it was impossible with her stomach as large as it was and he reached for her leg and pulled it over his hips, knowing it was comfortable for her in that position and his hand smoothed over the belly.

“It’s okay, Betts, I understand,” Jughead said softly. “I’ve been anxious lately and it’s not just because of the impending labor and birth, but all the insecurities ive ever had about myself are coming to the surface and I’m worried I won’t be a good father.”

“Oh Jug,” she sighed, shifting so she could look at him. “I think you’ll be an amazing father. There is nobody I know with a heart like yours.”

“Thank you,” he said quietly, giving her a gentle squeeze. “I guess I’m also scared about how the change will affect me. I’ve never done well with new things and this is the newest thing I’ve ever had to face. It won’t be easy and sometimes I wonder, if I hear the baby crying at night, will I react badly? I just…..” Jughead’s voice trailed off, his voice a little shaky.

“Juggie…” Betty breathed. 

“I don’t want to hurt our son, Betty,” he said, sounding a little broken. “What if I hurt him?” Betty shifted and struggled to sit up and Jughead helped her and sat up with her. She touched his face and when his eyes filled with tears, she couldn’t help but tear up with him.

“Sweetie, you won’t hurt the baby. Please don’t think that way or worry about that. You have come such a long way since I’ve known you and therapy has helped you so much with working through your anxiety. I can read you better than you can read yourself and we have hotdog always on guard.”

“And when I have to watch him? When I’m alone with him?” Betty shifted her legs under her and knelt, sitting back on her heels and framing his face in her hands.

“Sweetheart, you are going to be amazing. You will not hurt him! If there are days where you feel too much anxiety or you’re worried, we’ll do it together. I promise you baby, we’ll never put you in a situation with the baby that makes you uncomfortable.”

“What if I just choke? What if I’m no good at any of it? What if I’m such a miserable failure that you’re basically raising this baby alone?” A tear escape his eye then and she leaned in and kissed it away.

“You are too good of a man to ever let that happen,” she whispered against his cheek. “Believe me. And this baby loves you so much already. You feel how he’s moving? How it feels like he’s rolling over?” Jughead smoothed his hand across her stomach and nodded. “He only does that with your touch. He knows his daddy is here and he knows he’s safe.” More tears fell from his eyes at her words and he hugged her close. 

“I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you so much, Jughead Jones, and you’re going to be an amazing father.” He kissed her then, his hands moving to pull her shirt off and pressing kisses down her neck to her stomach and whispering words of love as he went. “Jug?” He lifted his head and looked at her. “I’ve been thinking and I think we should name him Samuel,” Betty said softly.

“Sam?” he choked out, his eyes filling with tears again. She smiled and nodded and Jughead lowered his forehead to her stomach and wept. Her own tears fell and she rested her cheek on his hair as his emotions spilled over. When he lifted his head, she was overwhelmed by the determination she saw in his eyes. “I won’t let you down,” he promised. 

“I know you won’t,” Betty smiled. She knew, no matter what happened, Jughead would do everything he knew to be present and helpful and a great father and she also knew that he would succeed. “Now, my love, I believe you wanted to finish your work out,” she teased. He let out a shaky laugh and wiped his face.

“God, I’m a bit of a mess right now,” he sighed. “Maybe we should watch Moulin Rouge instead.” Betty started to laugh and then couldn’t seem to stop. He joined in and by the time they stopped, they lay breathless next to each other and Jughead gently tucked her hair behind her ear. “You sure you’re up for it?” he asked, letting his hand move up her side. She bit her lip and her hand found its way under the towel and she grinned.

“Well, you seem to be, so I suppose I can muster,” she giggled. Perhaps it wasn’t as wild as they were used to and there was only a couple of positions that were comfortable for her, but he made love to her with an intensity that had her sobbing his name as her release came and all anxieties and worries were forgotten for the night.

 

When Betty went into labor 3 weeks later, it was 3:30 in the morning and she had been having small pains all day and hadn’t thought much of it until she woke to a ruined mattress after her water broke.

“Jug?” she gasped, struggling to sit up and nudging him awake. He rolled over and squinted at her, trying to focus in the dark room.

“You okay?” he asked, his voice gruff with sleep.

“My water just broke,” she informed him calmly, trying to make sure he didn’t freak out. 

“Oh shit,” he exclaimed, suddenly wide awake. “Really? Isn’t it early?”

“Well, babies come when they’re ready, not when we’re ready,” she said with a chuckle. Jughead jumped out of bed and hurriedly got dressed and came around to help her off the bed. “I guess we need a new mattress,” she sighed. 

“No, that mattress cover is waterproof,” Jughead informed her as he helped her to the bathroom to clean up. “I read it on the package.”

“Oh, right,” Betty sighed in relief. Once she got herself showered and dressed in some comfortable sweats and t-shirt and he got the bed stripped, she was feeling the contractions and Jughead quickly grabbed her packed bag and helped her down the stairs. It was an hour to Riverdale and it didn’t seem like it would be a rushed labor but Jughead was a nervous wreck. “Baby, calm down, we’ll be okay,” she said gently as he helped her fasten her seatbelt. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself but he still went over the speed limit when he headed to the hospital. Betty called family as they drove and alerted them that it was time and then clutched Jughead’s hand, or rather, he clutched hers and she tried to calm him, as they drove. She tried to downplay her contractions so as not to freak him out and he could tell.

“Okay, Betty stop it. I know it hurts and you don’t have to hold it all together for me. This isn’t about me, so if you need to yell or whatever, just do it. I’ll be fine,” he insisted. A contraction hit just as he said it and she let out a whimper and clutched the door and his foot pushed the accelerator a little harder. She would have laughed if she hadn’t been in so much pain.

By the time they got to the hospital, Alice was already there and had the nurses waiting. Betty was settled in a wheelchair and whisked away to the maternity ward before she could even get her bearings. As they were getting her hooked up to things and giving her a quick check, Alice pulled Jughead aside and took his hands in hers.

“Jughead, sweetheart, you need to unclench, okay?” she said gently. He nodded and he shook out his hands and took a few breaths. “She’s going to be okay so you just need to relax and support her and be there for whatever she needs.”

“Okay, okay,” he said quickly, taking another few deep breaths. Alice bit back her laugh and thought the poor guy looked like he was going to pass out. “If it helps you relax any, I got word today that your first journal just made its way onto the best seller list,” she added calmly. Jughead froze and stared at her in shock. Then he grinned and pulled her in for a tight hug. 

“Oh my God!!” Betty cried out happily, having heard the announcement. “Are you serious? Why didn’t you tell us when you found out?”

“Well, I was going to come by later today but you guys just had to go and have your baby now,” Alice laughed.

“Oh Juggie, I’m so fucking proud!” Betty exclaimed and Alice frowned at her choice of words.

“Really Betty, you’re about to have a child, you can’t have it come into the world to curse words.” Betty ignored her.

“Best Seller, Jug!! Best Sell……oh god, ow ow ow….” She suddenly cried out, her contraction effectively cutting off her praise. Jughead rushed over and as she bent forward, he started rubbing her back and helping her breathe through it. 

“Can I get you anything?” he asked when she finished. “Ice chips? Wood chips?” Betty furrowed her brow and looked at him.

“Wood chips?”

“I may have been chopping too much wood,” he sighed and she started to giggle. “I could use some ice chips,” she said when she could manage to talk. Jughead went to get her some and Alice came over to the bed and sat down. 

“How are you feeling?” she asked, brushing Betty’s hair back.

“Okay, I suppose. I’m about to become a mother and I’m slightly terrified,” she admitted. 

“You’re going to be a wonderful mom,” Alice said with a smile. Jughead came back in with the ice and her mother moved so he could sit on the edge of the bed. She took the ice and popped one in her mouth just as another contraction hit and he talked and breathed her through it and when it passed, she leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder. 

“Are you okay?” she asked softly. “You ready for all this?”

“Not even a little bit, but I can’t wait,” he replied with a smile and a kiss to her temple.

Her labor progressed through the morning and around lunch time, the doctor informed her that she was ready to start pushing. Betty was exhausted and sweaty and her contractions had been coming on top of each other for a good half hour and Jughead was thankful he had given her his left hand on a couple of occasion when she had squeezed during pain because he was certain if he’d given his right, he wouldn’t be able to fire his rifles anymore. He felt like his hand was broken but he refused to complain or even give a hint that it hurt because if that’s what she needed to do to get through it, he was going to let her. He’d been shot seven times on his mission, what was a little hand bruise?

“Please don’t ever get me pregnant again,” she begged, trying to breathe through another pain. He smiled and gently wiped the damp hair off her forehead.

“Sweetheart, I didn’t exactly plan to get your pregnant this time either, so for the future, it’s probably a crap shoot,” he said seriously. She let out a laugh and he smiled and kissed her forehead as the doctor took his place at the foot of the bed. “You’re doing so good,” he whispered as she tensed once again for a contraction. 

“Okay, Betty, on the next one I’m going to need you to push,” the doctor informed her and she nodded and took a few breaths before she was slammed once again. She spent half an hour pushing and Jughead remained calm and encouraging and when the doctor announced they could see the head, his curiosity kicked in and he went to look. If Betty hadn’t been in such pain she would have burst out laughing at his expression.

“How the hell are you doing this?” he gasped. “That’s like….impossible! Jesus, that has to hurt!”

“Jughead, weren’t you in war and got shot a few times?” she gasped during her few seconds of relief.

“Yeah but I wasn’t trying to push a melon out my….”

“Jug!” she yelled in exasperation as another contraction hit and she started to push. She grabbed his hand and he watched in awe as she somehow managed to push the baby’s head out.

“Wow, his head is out,” he whispered as Betty fell back with a sob. 

“One more to get the shoulders out Betty,” the doctor ordered and she tensed and started pushing again and then he was there; a wailing, wiggling infant in the doctors hands and Betty sank back in relief as Jughead just stared in shock at the tiny human that was now part of their life. The doctor quickly cut the cord and placed the baby in Jughead’s shaking hands and he brought him to Betty, laying him on her chest. 

“Hi baby,” she whispered tearfully, her hand coming up to rest on the baby’s head. “Jug, he has your hair,” she cried, hugging the baby close. Despite the fact that he was completely overwhelmed at the moment, his arrogant grin couldn’t be contained.

A couple of hours later, with Betty finally settled into a comfortable bed and private room and having a much needed nap, and Alice heading home to take a nap of her own, Jughead sat in the overstuffed rocking chair beside her bed, looking at the sweet little boy sleeping in his arms. He couldn’t seem to stop staring at him or wondering how they had managed to create something so beautiful. 

“Sam,” he whispered softly, letting his finger trail down his soft cheek and smiling when the baby purses his lips and wiggled a little in his arms. “You know,” he began softly. “We named you after my best friend and I don’t know if I’ll ever not feel like I failed him, but I promise you son, I promise that I will always protect you and will do everything I know how to do to make sure I don’t let you down.”

“I think he already knows that,” came the soft reply from the bed. Jughead looked up and found Betty smiling at him with tears in her eyes. He smiled and got up, walking over and she lifted her bed to a sitting position and took Sam from him to feed. Once he was settled at her breast, Jughead settled next to her, his arm around her shoulder. He watched and let out a chuckle.

“Wow, I’ve got some competition,” he teased. Betty rolled her eyes and let out a laugh. 

“I think he likes mommy’s boobs because he needs them for survival,” she informed him.

“Me too,” Jughead whispered in her ear and she flushed.

“Stop it,” she sighed. “I just had a baby and you’re getting me all bothered.” He grinned and kissed her temple and she snuggled against him while their son fed. “How are you doing?” she asked after a few minutes.

“Good,” Jughead replied, his voice seeming relieved. “I think half my anxiety was me worrying how I would feel or react once he was born and all I feel is excitement and love and he’s just so amazing.”

“He is beautiful, isn’t he,” she said happily. Jughead nodded and touched his hand to Sam’s head.

“I can’t believe I didn’t want this,” he said, his eyes misting over. “Him being here, it almost seems like another crack in my heart has healed.” Betty started to cry and pressed her face into his shirt.

“I love you Jughead,” she whispered. “You don’t even know how much.”

“I know, love, believe me. I know,” he whispered back. “Look at what you gave me.”

“Well, you helped make him,” she said as she turned her head to look at him. He was so close that she moved just an inch and then she was kissing him. His hand came up to touch her cheek and he returned her kiss slowly, gently.

“I miss touching you,” he sighed against her lips. They hadn’t made love since the night he had told her all his fears because she had just been too uncomfortable and now they would have to wait a while longer but she knew exactly how he felt. 

“I miss you touching me,” Betty replied and let him kiss her again. She pulled away when Sam let go of her breast and covered herself back up and handed him to Jughead to burp and he laughed softly when it came almost immediately. 

“That’s my boy,” he said with pride. There was a soft knock on the door just then and FP and Jellybean walked in. “Hey,” he said with a big smile. “You guys made it.” 

“Oh my gosh, he’s here,” Jellybean said excitedly, rushing over to peek at the tiny boy in Jughead’s arms. “Can I hold him?” He carefully handed her the baby and she walked over to the rocker, sitting down slowly as she gazed in awe at her nephew. “Oh Jay, she whispered. “He’s so handsome. You did so good.”

“His name is Samuel,” Jughead said softly. JB’s head shot up and she stared at him, her eyes filling with tears.

“Really?” she managed. Jughead nodded and she held the little boy just a bit closer and let the tears flow down her face. 

“You guys did real good,” FP said, sounding a little choked up himself. “I’m really proud of you Jug,” he said firmly, giving his son a hug. 

“You should be proud of Betty. I still can’t believe she did that,” Jughead said with a chuckle as he pulled back.

“We’re very proud of Betty,” Jellybean said, sniffing back her tears. “You made me an auntie and he’s so unbelievably beautiful and I’ll babysit whenever you want.”

“Honey, you live 5 hours away,” Betty gently reminded her.

“I’ll move,” the young woman said, her lips trembling as she placed kisses on the baby’s face. 

A few minutes later, Betty drifted off the sleep and Jughead spent more time with his father and sister until he started to yawn. They got up to go just as Alice came back and saw him in mid yawn.

“Okay, Jughead, you need some rest,” she said immediately. “Go to my place and sleep.”

“I don’t want to leave Betty,” he retorted, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“She will be fine. I’ll stay here but you won’t be any good to her if you’re exhausted. Please, go get some rest.” 

“Come on Jug, we’ll take you,” FP suggested.

“No, I’ll take Alice’s car because I need to get back here.”

“We’ve been driving all morning, we could use a nap too,” his father explained, looking hopefully at Alice.

“Of course,” she nodded. Jughead kissed sleeping Betty and held and kissed his son again and left to get his nap.

 

Two days later they were able to go home. Alice came along to help them settle into life with a new born and to help when they were unsure of what to do. Sam, for the most part slept and ate and pooped and Betty was able to get a lot of rest to regain her strength. 

Jughead was the biggest help. He stepped up in a way that surprised both Betty and her mother. He wanted to change the diapers, he wanted to bathe Sam, he wanted to rock him to sleep, he’d have fed him if it was possible. Once Alice went home, things got a little more difficult because it seemed like Sam decided grandma being gone was a good reason to cry all day long.

Betty was at her wits end one particular afternoon and when Jughead came in from fixing something on the truck, he found her pace and hugging the baby close and rocking him back and forth, trying to stop the wailing.

“I don’t know what to do, Jug,” she exclaimed, bursting into her own tears. “I don’t know what he needs or wants. He’s just crying. I’ve changed him, fed him but he just wants to scream. I’m losing my mind!” she finished with a wail of her own. Jughead hurried over and took Sam and held him against his shoulder, trying to bounce him to get him calm. 

“Go lay down for a bit, hon, I’ll take care of him,” Jughead said softly, rubbing his hand over his son’s back. 

“The noise isn’t bothering you?” she asked, wiping her eyes. 

“It’s fine, go rest,” he insisted. Betty all but ran up the stairs and he chuckled as he watched her go. He lowered Sam to cradle him and smiled down at the crying infant. “Now what’s got you so angry these days? Hmmmmm? You’re making your mother panic and she’s supposed to be the one who’s all together and strong so she can handle us both when daddy feels like screaming. You need to give her a break buddy and stop with this infernal screaming.” Sam’s answer was to scream louder. 

Jughead sighed and walked over to their new rocking chair and held him for a while, trying to figure out a way to get him to stop. He studied him and noticed a lot of movement in the swaddling blanket and he lay him on his lap and unwrapped him. He was still kicking so he unzipped the sleeper and stripped him down to his diaper and shockingly, Sam stopped crying.

“So, that’s the problem,” Jughead laughed. “You don’t like being dressed.” He was then gifted with a tiny squeal and what could only be described as a smile. “You little fart; just wanting to be naked, huh?” Sam responded with exactly that. A well timed fart. After a couple of hours of flailing around in just a diaper, he started to fuss again and Jughead redressed him and he fell asleep curled against his torso while Jughead lay down on the couch, playing a video game. 

When Betty came back downstairs and found them that way, she stood and stared in shock. 

“How did you get him to stop and sleep?” she asked in surprise.

“Turns out, he just wanted to be naked and once he was done being naked, I redressed him and he fell asleep,” Jughead smiled. Betty sank down on the floor next to the couch and laid her head on his shoulder, her hand touching Sam.

“Thank you Jug, you’re amazing.”

“Nah, just observant and able to read the situation,” he winked.

“That sniper training comes in handy, even with babies,” she laughed. “He’s okay there for now? I can start dinner.” Jughead leaned closer and kissed her. 

“We’re good babe, go ahead.”

 

They settled in and got the hang of being parents but the inevitable came and just after Sam’s three month birthday, Betty watched as Jughead got hit with a cloud of depression and anxiety. It started like it usually did, he had trouble sleeping and then he became quiet and withdrawn. The wood chopping and target shooting began and he took himself outside to have a smoke more than usual. He booked extra sessions with his therapist and tried to take control of it before it got out of hand. Hotdog was alert but he was relaxed and as always, Betty took her cues from him.

The fourth day in, one of them must have accidently turned the volume on the baby monitor up to high and in the middle of the night, when Sam started to cry, it echoed loudly through their room and Jughead shot up in a panic, his body breaking out in a sweat and he looked around wildly, his eyes wide and lost in some place that wasn’t reality. Betty was about to reach over to calm him when Hotdog, who was standing next to the bed let out a soft growl, letting her know it wasn’t a good idea. He barked loudly and it seemed to snap Jughead fully awake and he became aware of where he was. He grabbed the monitor and threw it against the wall and the noise stopped. 

Betty quickly left the room, leaving him with the dog and went to check on Sam. He was hungry and she settled into the rocking chair beside his crib and fed him. He smiled up at her as he ate and she couldn’t help but smile back. He was really starting to play and smile and get excited over things and when he would see either her or Jughead, he would always grin and it was literally the most amazing thing she had ever experienced, that this tiny little human could already communicate his love for mommy and daddy. When he finished, he quickly fell back to sleep and Betty put him back in the crib and went back to her room. Jughead was sitting on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands. 

“Hey,” she said softly as she approached him. He straightened up and looked at her with regret in his eyes.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice shaky and gruff. He took her hands and pulled her to stand between his legs, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his head against her stomach.

“I’m okay,” she whispered. “You only hurt the baby monitor.”

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled. Betty took his face and lifted it so he would see her smile.

“It’s fine. It was accidently set on high and I understand that it must have made you panic. I once threw my alarm clock because it pissed me off,” she said wryly. She could feel him still trembling and glanced at Hotdog who had settled down, head resting on paws, indicating there was no danger.

“Is Sam okay?” 

“He’s fine, Jug. Just needed to eat.” Jughead nodded and rested his forehead against her stomach, taking steady breaths and willing his body to calm. She combed her fingers through his hair and he hugged her close. “Do you need me?” she asked softly, her fingers moving to smooth along his jaw. He let out a sigh and nodded against her and Betty gently pushed him back on the bed, climbing over him and straddling his hips.

“You don’t have to,” he spoke, even as his eyes filled with need and his breath hitched.

“Shhhh,” Betty whispered against his ear as she let her lips move over his jaw. When she reached his mouth, he took it eagerly with his own, his hands settling on her hips and pressing her closer. She could feel his body coming alive and she moved against him as she slid her tongue into his mouth. Jughead immediately pulled her t-shirt off and filled his hands with her breasts, still tender from feeding the baby. Since they had started being intimate again a few weeks after the birth, he had learned how different her body now was and especially in that area, he had to be more gentle and she moaned and pressed closer as he squeezed tenderly.

Betty kissed him, deeply, thoroughly until he was gripping her waist and moving roughly against her. His hands moved down and slid into her panties, gripping the soft flesh of her backside and holding her still as he pressed up, grinding against her. She knew he could feel her heat through his boxers, that she was probably getting them wet because her own lace was soaked through from his movements. He slowly pulled them down her thighs and she kicked them off as his hands moved up the back of her legs. She reached into his boxers and wrapped her hand around him, stroking him slowly as he bucked against her. 

“I need you,” he pleaded, his breathing shallow and heavy. Betty quickly pulled his boxers off and settled over him, rubbing herself against him and getting a groan in return. She slid back and forth, letting her wetness coat him, her mouth moving down to his neck, sucking on his skin as she went. “Please baby,” he whispered, his hands gripping her hips. She lifted her head and held his gaze as she shifted and slowly slid down on him. “Fuck,” he groaned, immediately lifting and pressing deeper. She let out a whimper at the feel of him moving inside her, their eyes locked together as she rose and fell on him. 

Jughead pulled her down for a kiss, his tongue tangling with hers as he gasped into her mouth, his hands gripping her backside and holding her to him, just to feel himself buried inside for a few moments. He pressed deep, their bodies just grinding together and then he held her still and started to thrust up into her. He kept a steady, determined pace and soon she was panting into his mouth.

“God, you feel good,” she moaned, as he slid in and out. His hand clench in her hair as he lifted to kiss her again, a wet dirty kiss that sent spasms shooting down her body and building between her legs as he pounded into her. “Don’t stop…fuck, don’t stop” she pleaded, her hands fisting the sheets beside his head. Jughead brought his hand between them and found her clit, stroking her with quick circles. “Oh my god,” she breathed. “Jug, I’m so close,” she cried, her body desperate for the release. 

“Come baby,” he growled again her mouth. “Come, come….come…” His plea sent her over the edge and she shuddered as she clenched on him, her orgasm rippling through her in waves of pleasure. “You’re so fucking beautiful when you’re coming,” he gasped, watching her face as she rode it out. She looked down at him, her hand running through his hair, her breath coming in gasps, suddenly wondering if it wasn’t _her_ that needed _him_.

“You’re turn,” she insisted as she started to move on him again. “Let go Jug, let it all go,” she whispered against his mouth, her hand stroking down his side. “Come inside me, I want all of it.” 

“Fuck,” he groaned, her words making his body stiffen and then he was spilling into her, her name a desperate whisper on his lips as he gripped her hips, holding her to him as he thrust up into her, letting her body pull everything from him. She fell against his chest as he shook under her, bodies glued together, sweat glistening on their skin. Betty moved her hips, trying to prolong the pleasure of having him inside her. They lay still, their breathing slowly returning to normal, the only noises were the tiny moans that would escape him as her body fluttered and squeezed in tiny aftershocks for a couple of minutes. When it was over, just for extra affect, she clenched her walls on him and he let out a growl, his hips instinctively pressing back.

“You feel so good inside me,” Betty whispered, her mouth brushing kisses across his chest, squeezing him again.

“Baby,” he muttered, his hands squeezing her hips. “If you keep –,”

“Fuck me again, Jug,” she pleaded, her body still aching for more. He let out a low growl and shifted, flipping them over so she was underneath him and then slowly, thoroughly brought her to release once again. 

 

 

Jughead was smiling when he pulled up in front of the house and parked the truck. He grabbed the teddy bear he had bought Sam on his way home from town and knew Betty was going to give him hell. He was spoiling his son, she always told him whenever he brought home a gift. She may have had a bit of a point, as Sam was only 5 months old and Jughead had bought him a toy almost every week and she insisted that he stop before they needed a bigger house. But the little boy, with his smiles and giggles and squeals of delight whenever he saw him, was the light of his life and as annoyed as she was with him whenever he bought a new gift, he knew how much Betty loved that he doted on the boy. 

As he climbed out, he noticed Alice’s car and wondered why she was visiting. She usually only came out on the weekends and it was Wednesday. He bounded up the stairs and walked into the house pausing in confusion when he saw his and Betty’s overnight bags sitting on the floor.

“What’s going on?” he asked in concern when he saw Betty’s red rimmed eyes. He looked at Alice who was holding Sam and rocking him back and forth. 

“We need to go to Toledo, Jug,” Betty said softly. “Mother is going to stay with Sam while we’re gone.”

“What? Why?” he asked, feeling the dread rising up inside him.

“Jellybean has been in a horrible car wreck and they don’t know if she’s going to make it,” Betty explained, fresh tears filling her eyes. Jughead froze, feeling like his heart was being ripped from his chest. 

“What?” he gasped, shaking his head, sure he hadn’t heard her right. She walked over to him and touched his face. 

“Take a minute to say bye to Sam and then we need to go,” she said softly, trying to be calm for him. Jughead could feel himself start to shake and he looked over at Sam and couldn’t seem to make himself move. “Now, Jughead.” He snapped out of it and quickly walked over to Alice and grabbed his son and spent a minute hugging and kissing him and left him with the teddy bear when he handed him back. “Take the bags out to the car, I’ll be right there,” Betty said. He grabbed them and heard Betty tell Alice about the breast milk in the freezer and where the formula was if she ran out and by the time he got to the car she was beside him and steering him toward the passenger side. She wasn’t going to let him drive. She got Hotdog in the car and he said nothing until they were out on the highway and then he turned to her.

“What the fuck happened Betty, tell me what’s going on and don’t leave shit out,” he demanded. “Who did this? How the fuck did this happen?” Betty reached over and rubbed his thigh with her hand. His fists were clenched and his leg was bouncing and she wondered if he would manage the 5 hour drive to Toledo and she prayed JB held on until they got there. She prayed even more that she would hold on and recover. 

“Nobody did this,” she said calmly. “Her front tire blew out and the car hit the curb and flipped, hitting a tree and ended up on its roof. She was unconscious when help arrived and she hasn’t woken yet.” 

“Do they know what her injuries are?” he asked, his voice shaking.

“They don’t have all the answers yet but there is obvious head trauma and they aren’t ruling out spinal injury as there is some swelling and internal bleeding according to the scans and they won’t know until she wakes up if she has any mobility,” Betty answered in a gentle voice. 

“Fuck,” he muttered. “Fuck, fuck, FUCK!!!” He was hitting the dash by the time he yelled the last curse and she took a deep breath and removed her hand. Hotdog shifted on the back seat and put his head between the two front ones and let out a whine. 

“Juggie, you need to relax okay?” As soon as the words were out, Betty winced and realized it was the wrong thing to say.

“How the fuck am I supposed to relax?” he exploded, hitting the dash again. She pressed her lips together and stayed quiet, her hands gripping the steering wheel. “I’m sorry,” he immediately whispered when he saw her shrink back, tears on her face and her knuckles white from squeezing the wheel. She just nodded and kept driving. “Pull over for a second, please,” he said softly. She did as he asked and he reached over and unbuckled her and pulled her across the console and into his lap. “I’m sorry baby.” Betty wrapped her arms around his neck and cried. She could feel him shaking and hugged him tightly.

“She’s going to be okay, Jug,” Betty whispered against his neck. She could feel his tears soaking her temple and he shuddered.

“How do you know?”

“Because she has to be.” 

He nodded, hugging her close to try and absorb some of the calm she had been displaying earlier until he fucked it up. They sat silently for endless minutes until she finally pulled away and smoothed his hair back off his forehead. “We should go.” He nodded again and she got back into her seat and soon they were driving again.

A couple of hours into the drive, Jughead asked her to pull over again and he got out of the car and paced around a little bit, shaking his hands as he went. He bent over and heaved a little bit and she rested her forehead on the steering wheel, trying to calm her own self. Jughead had been texting his father every 10 minutes asking for news and it was always the same. They didn’t know much yet. She was still unconscious. She knew his worry and anxiety were taking over and she wished she could take it away from him. It took 20 minutes for him to get back into the car and she started out again.

By the time they reached Toledo, Jughead was so wound up, Betty was afraid seeing his sister would send him over the edge. She voiced her concern and he just clenched his jaw and stared out the window. When they pulled into the hospital parking lot, he was out of the car before she had come to a complete stop and running into the building. She turned off the vehicle and sat there for a few minutes, taking deep breaths and preparing for what was coming. She was terrified that JB wasn’t going to pull through because she didn’t know if Jughead would survive that. Would all his progress get flushed down the toilet if she died or would he be able to walk through it and come out the other side unscathed. She desperately hoped she wouldn’t lose him because this could be too much and he’d disappear into himself.

Once she managed to get her emotions under control she grabbed her purse, grabbed Hotdog’s leash and locked up the car, heading into the hospital. She informed the information desk that he was a service dog and they had a room where she could keep him, but he wasn’t allowed into the hospital unless it was an emergency. Once she got him squared away, she found out JB was on the third floor and she rode the elevator alone. It was easy enough to find the waiting room and was greeted by Kevin and Joaquin. Kevin wrapped her in a giant bear hug and she clung to him and tried desperately to not cry again. Once he pulled back, they sat on the sofa and she smiled shakily at him.

“Jughead and FP went to see her. She’s in the ICU and it’s two visitors at a time so we’ll just have to wait here,” he explained.

“Tell me the truth, how bad it it?” she whispered.

“It’s bad Betty. The last couple of hours there has been swelling on the brain and they had to drill into her skull to relieve some pressure. They don’t think she’s going to make it,” he finished sorrowfully. Betty took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She was not ready for this and she doubted Jughead was ready for this. A few minutes later, FP came back into the room and his eyes were bloodshot and he looked exhausted. Betty got up and gave him a hug.

“You can go in,” he said quietly when she pulled back. Betty moved down the hall and was led into the ICU and over to Jellybean’s corner and she blinked back tears and covered her mouth with her hand when she saw the young woman on the hospital bed. Half her head was shaved and covered in a bandage and there were tubes everywhere. She was still as death and white as the sheets she lay on and Jughead was gripping her hand as if his life depended on it. She walked over to him and lay a hand on his arm, resting her head against it as well as she gazed down at his sister.

“Oh Jelly,” she whispered, a tear making its way down her face. She could feel Jughead trembling and he was clenching his jaw and she realized immediately that he was holding back and holding in his emotions and that never ended well. “Jug—“ She never finished what she was going to say when he pulled away from her and walked out of the room. She let him go and sat down on the edge of the bed, careful not to bump the fragile life laying there.

“You know,” she began quietly. “You’ve probably already heard this, but we can’t have you lying here like this and you certainly aren’t allowed to die.” Betty gripped the girls hand and wiped her tears with the other. “You have to wake up because you have a sweet little nephew who just can’t live without his favorite auntie. I need you to help plan my wedding. We had plans and you’re my maid of honor. I refuse to get married if you aren’t there,” she threatened seriously. “And Jug – Jughead….” She said on a sob. “He needs you Jelly, I don’t think he’ll be able to handle it if he loses you. Please come back to us.” 

She sat by her side for a good half hour, talking about how Sam was doing and all his cute laughs and how he was getting a tooth and that he missed his auntie already. When the nurses came to check all the machines, Betty went back to the waiting room and saw that Jughead wasn’t there. He hadn’t been there when she told them that he’d left Jellybean half an hour earlier.

“He just needs to be alone for a while,” FP said reassuringly when she became worried.

“I just….I don’t want him to go to a bad place is all,” she whispered as she sank down in a chair. Kevin came to sit next to her, his arm around her shoulder.

“Betts, he’s come a long way and I think he’ll be okay,” he said, trying to help her worry less.

“Kevin, this is his sister. He is still blaming himself and feeling guilty about Sam dying all these years later and feels he took him away from her and if she…if she….Kevin, he won’t be able to handle this. He had to watch his best friend die, he can’t watch his sister die too.” Betty started to sob, the emotions finally spilling out after holding them in for a few hours. Kevin held her until she was done and she leaned back with a sigh and wiped her face. 

FP had gone back to Jellybean and Betty got up to wander the halls to see if she could find Jughead. After a while searching, she asked a nurse where someone could go for a smoke and was given directions to a 4 floor outdoor space off one of the waiting rooms on the lobby roof of the hospital. She found him there, sitting on a bench, a pack of cigarettes beside him that looked well on its way to being fully finished soon.

“Hi love,” she said softly as she sat beside him. Jughead said nothing and just took another drag of his cigarette. She waited a few minutes and then tried again. “Sweetie, you can’t hold this in. Please don’t shut me out,” she pleaded.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he muttered, snuffing out his smoke and grabbing another. Betty gently took it from him and put it back in the pack and he let out a frustrated sigh and leaned his elbows on his knees, his hands in his hair. 

“Jug, look at me,” she demanded softly. He turned his head and she saw the anguish in his eyes. The fear and dread and she would have given anything to take his pain away. “We’re going to get through this, I promise,” she said gently. “Your sister is strong, she’s fierce, she’s a fighter. I mean, she’s related to you for God’s sake. I don’t think you guys have it in you to give up. You fight; you’re fighters and you have survived so much already. I refuse to believe this will take her.”

“Betty, she’s in a coma, her brain is swelling, she has a spinal injury that they don’t know the extent of. How can you see the other side of this and be optimistic?” he asked, his voice breaking.

“Because Jughead. Because that was you once upon a time. In fact, you were worse. You flat lined repeatedly, you were shot 7 times and you should _not_ have survived and you did. You did it and so will she!”

“Betty, she’s….” his voice broke again and the tears he had been fighting filled his eyes so quickly, there was nothing he could do to stop them. 

“We’ll get through this,” Betty whispered, putting her arms around him and pulling him close.

“What if she doesn’t?” he asked, his voice filled with anguish.

“We’ll get through that as well,” she insisted, hugging him tight. The thought of having to maybe face that possibility was simply too much for Jughead and he couldn’t stop the tears as he clung to her. Betty cried with him and hoped and prayed with every fiber in her being that Jellybean recovered. 

She didn’t know how long they sat there but eventually he pulled away and wiped his face, his eyes red and she handed him his cigarette and he gave her a small smile and lit it, taking a long drag before dropping his head back to let the smoke out. His leg was still bouncing and his fist was clenched and she gently pried it open and laced her fingers through his, leaning her head on his shoulder until he finished his smoke.

A long while later they made their way back inside and she went to the waiting room while Jughead went back to his sister’s side. It was getting late and she knew he would probably stay the entire night there and she sat down in the soft recliner in case she fell asleep. Kevin was paging through a magazine and he put it down when she came in.

“Are you going to spend the night?” she asked as she leaned her chair back. He handed her a pillow he had sitting beside him and a soft throw that was on the back of the couch. 

“No, I just wanted to see if you were alright or if you needed anything. You hungry?”

“I am actually. We never stopped to eat on the way here and could you check on Hotdog and make sure they’re taking care of him? He needs food and water and I just don’t have the energy to go see to it at the moment.”

“I’ll get right to it,” he said with a gentle smile and got up to leave the room. Kevin came back a while later with some sandwiches and a cup of tea for her and she let out a sigh of gratefulness. 

“Thank you honey,” she murmured as she ate half a sandwich and sipped her tea. She felt exhausted and sad and overwhelmed and let out a yawn behind her hand.

“You should eat more,” he said softly and she shook her head.

“I can’t. I’m too anxious,” she sighed. “I feel like I’m going to throw up. I’m so worried about JB and Jughead as well. After everything he’s been through, everything they’ve both been through, this just isn’t fair. It’s not fair.”

“Life usually isn’t fair,” Kevin said softly.

“Why can’t it be?” she asked tearfully, swiping the back of her hand across her face as she leaned back in the chair. “After all that’s happened and how far we’ve come, how far Jughead has come. I mean, we have a wedding to plan, he’s a wonderful father. I can’t even explain to you how great he is, Kevin. Things have been going so well and now this…” her voice broke and she started to cry once again. “When does he get a break?” she asked furiously. Kevin moved to sit on the arm rest of the chair and wrapped his arms around her and let her cry. 

 

Jughead sat beside his sister’s bed and watched her still from. Day had turned into night and nothing had changed. All he heard was the beeping of the machines. It had become almost a comfort as the hours passed. If the heart monitor was beeping steady and no alarms were going off, then for now, she was okay. 

She was okay.

He kept repeating that to himself as he sat there. He remembered when he lay in the hospital bed after he almost died and she hadn’t been able to bring herself to come visit him. He wondered at the anguish she must have felt, with him possibly dying and Sam already dead. It had to have been way worse and yet he felt like his life was being sucked from him. He couldn’t imagine her having felt this way or worse and he began to feel consumed with guilt all over again.

At some point he must have dozed off because Betty’s gentle touch on his shoulder some hours later jolted him awake and he sat up quickly, his eyes searching and finding JB still where he had left her.

“You doing okay?” Betty asked softly, sitting on the edge of his chair. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her onto his lap so she’d be more comfortable and just nodded. “Maybe you should go to your dad’s and get some better sleep. Or even in the waiting room. The couch or lounge chair is actually quite comfortable.”

“I’m good here,” he muttered. Betty put her hand to his cheek and forced him to look at her. 

“You need to take care of yourself, love.”

“I’m fine,” he sighed, pulling her a little closer and she lay her head on his shoulder, not pressing the issue. He knew she was only looking out for him but the thought of leaving his sister for his own comfort just felt wrong.

Just as she was melting against him to take a little nap, JB’s heart monitor started to speed up. She sat up quickly and Jughead shot to his feet, almost dropping her on the floor. 

“Nurse,” he called out, his voice laced with the sudden panic he felt. Another machine started beeping and soon alarms were going off around her bed and JB started to shake. Nurses and a couple of doctors rushed over and practically shoved them out of the way to get closer and Betty gripped his hand as they all started in on the young woman fighting for her life.

“She’s seizing,” the doctor said and Jughead watched helplessly as they worked to stop her seizure. He didn’t have to be a doctor to know the heart monitor was going way to fast and then he felt his own heart stop when the erratic line went flat and the beeping leveled out.

“No, no, no…” he gasped, trying to get close and Betty pulled him back. 

“Start chest compressions,” came the next order and Jughead turned away, unable to watch as all the hands moved to save her life. It wasn’t long before an unsteady and erratic beat started up again, but it was there and he sucked in a breath as they worked and pushed meds and all the machines slowly went quiet and the heart rate slowly but surely leveled out and slowed.

“Jesus,” he gasped, feeling numb all over. The doctor was still checking things and he stepped back and sighed. 

“We need to drain some of this fluid building up, prep an OR and call the surgeon,” he said calmly as he walked to the desk. There was another flurry of activity and suddenly she was being wheeled away and Jughead watched helplessly, feeling his heart go with her. 

“Where’s my dad?” he asked, swallowing around the lump in his throat.

“In the waiting room,” Betty said softly, squeezing his hand. “Do you want me to get him?”

“No, I just – I need some air,” he managed to choke out and hurriedly left the room. He ended up back on the smoking deck and hoped she wouldn’t follow. He knew she was doing her best and trying to help him stay calm, but he just needed to be alone and let himself feel the anguish without being interrupted.

He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a long drag into his lungs and letting the burn calm his frazzled nerves. It didn’t help much and when he leaned his head back and closed his eyes, all he saw was Sam dead beside him and Jellybean’s anguish over his failure to protect him and now she was laying there and he couldn’t protect her either. He sat there, raging and feeling the anxiety build inside him when suddenly Hotdog was sitting next to him, whimpering and laying his head on his lap. He blinked down at him, his hand immediately coming to rest on top of his head and then his eyes found Betty.

“I thought maybe you could use his support for a while,” she said quietly, making no move to sit beside him. He nodded his thanks and she slowly went back inside. 

Jughead felt like an asshole. He didn’t mean to push her away, he just didn’t know how to handle all he was feeling and her telling him it was going to be okay, wasn’t helping. It just worried him more because all he could think was, _what if she’s wrong and I end up blaming her?_ A few minutes later, his father came out and joined him. They sat in silence for a long while before either spoke.

“You know Jug, I feel as helpless right now as I did when you were laid up in the hospital and after I was done with that ordeal I was hoping I’d never have to go through it again and this is just – Jug, if she dies….” FP trailed off, his voice shaking. “We’re going to need each other, I’m going to need you.”

“I know,” Jughead whispered, his eyes welling with tears. “I’m doing my best to hold it together here and I’m terrified I’ll lose it if…”

“You can’t Jughead,” FP said urgently. “You son is going to need you. Betty is going to need you. I know there is pressure on you to hold it together, but it isn’t just about you anymore. You can’t retreat into the little cabin in the woods and hide away if this all goes to shit. You’re going to need to be here for your woman and your child.”

“I know,” Jughead murmured. “I don’t want to let them down.”

“And you won’t,” FP assured him. “You’ve come so far Jughead and I know this is tough but I believe you can handle it. I really do. Maybe better than me.”

“Thanks dad,” Jughead said softly, feeling the ache in his chest ease slightly. 

“I’m sorry you had to see her like you did before. That happened a lot when they first brought her in. I had to watch that damn line try to go flat like three times and my heart stopped each and every time along with it.”

“I’m sorry you’re going through this again,” Jughead sighed. “That you have to watch your kid fight for life again.”

“Me too, but you know, she’s fighting as hard as you did and I think she’ll make it. I mean, she’s a Jones. We’re nothing if we’re not fighters.”

“That’s what Betty says,” Jughead said with a tiny hint of a smile.

“Well, she is a smart one and she knows us well,” FP chuckled.

“Yeah.”

“When she gets out of surgery and they have her stable, I think I’m going to take Betty home so she can get some sleep,” FP said after a while. “I know you won’t leave, but we have no idea how long this wait is going to be and it won’t do any good to have you both wearing down.” Jughead simply nodded and pulled out another smoke. He was already exhausted and he knew he should get some rest and he figured he’d take Betty up on her suggestion to sleep on the couch in the family room.

When he finished the smoke, they went back in and he returned Hotdog to the holding room and made sure he was comfortable and please to see he had a bed and food and water and reminded himself to thank the hospital when this was all over. He went back to the family room and found Betty curled up on the couch and careful not to wake her, he adjusted her so he could lay down with her half on top of him and tucked against his side and the back of the couch. He pulled the blanket over them and forced himself to sleep.

 

When Betty woke a few hours later, she found herself wrapped in Jughead’s arms, his fingers making slow circles on her back under her shirt. She saw that nobody else was in the room and from the faint light in the window, figured it was early morning. Turning her head she found Jughead awake and she gave him a small smile.

“Hi,” she whispered.

“Hi baby,” he whispered back and for whatever reason, his soft look and gentle tone made her eyes fill with tears. He looked exhausted, anxious, and still so handsome, it hurt. 

“Is JB doing any better?” she asked softly.

“My dad came in about an hour ago and she made it through the surgery and I’m happy to report that the swelling on her brain is going down. So they are starting to say they are feeling _hopeful_ and that’s always a good thing.”

“Yeah,” she agreed with a relieved sigh. It wasn’t a complete assurance but it was something. “Have you slept?”

“A little,” he shrugged. She lifted her hand to his face and leaned in for a kiss and he touched her cheek and returned her kiss. When she pulled away he left another kiss on her forehead and hugged her tighter.

“I miss Sam,” she whispered against his chest.

“Me too,” Jughead admitted, combing his fingers through her hair and working out some tangles that she had developed in her sleep. “It’s the first time we’ve been away from him.”

“My mother said if we stay more than 4 days she would drive here with him so we don’t have to be apart for so long,” Betty told him.

“God, 4 days? Do you think she’d come at like 3?”

“I’m sure she would.” She lay quietly a while and then she looked at him. “How long are you planning to stay?” she asked, knowing at some point, they would have to return to life.

“I don’t know. I don’t know if I’d want to be here without you,” he admitted, his hand sliding up her back. 

“Well, I’m sure we could get away with it for 2 weeks or so and hopefully at that point she is well on her way, but since we won’t know anything until she wakes up, it’s hard to make any sort of plans.”

“I know,” Jughead murmured. “I just wish time would go faster, you know? I hate feeling this scared and helpless. I’m working hard to keep it together and I’m sorry if I slip into a funk at any point and I’m sorry for the moments where I push you away.”

“It’s okay,” Betty said gently. “I understand.”

“I love you,” he said against her temple. “I’m so thankful you’re here with me.”

“I love you too.”

 

Four days later, the swelling on Jellybean’s brain had steadily improved and she got upgraded from critical to serious and it was a huge win for everyone. The swelling along her spine showed only slight improvement and she had for the most part stabilized and was no longer having seizures and she wasn’t in danger of flat lining anymore. Jughead rarely left her side and Betty had to force him to eat and on a few occasions, when he did leave her side, he disappeared for hours and when he would returned his eyes would be red rimmed and blood shot and she knew he was having a harder time than he was letting on and she prayed that JB woke up soon so he would be able to calm himself a little.

Alice drove to Toledo and Betty finally got Jughead to leave the hospital and come to his father’s house and he broke down when he got his hands on Sam. The little boy squealed in delight at seeing his father and for the first time in days, Jughead was grinning while he was crying.

“Hi my beautiful boy,” he said happily, as he covered his face with kisses. Sam laughed and drooled and grabbed a handful of Jughead’s hair. “Ouch,” he laughed, gently prying his fingers loose. Betty left them alone and went into the kitchen where Alice was making tea.

“Everything is going alright at home?” she asked as if she hadn’t been texting every hour since she left. 

“Yes, Sam is doing good, although he was really missing you. He’s been fussy the last couple of days and I think it’s good for you and Jughead that he’s finally here. How are you all holding up?”

“Okay, I guess,” Betty sighed. “She’s improving slowly and we hope she wakes up soon so they can know the extent of the damage, if there is any, to her spine.”

“How’s Jughead?” Alice asked.

“He’s hanging in there. It’s hard for him of course, but he’s doing well.”

 

2 days later, Jellybean woke up. Jughead was by her side talking to her when her eyelids started to flutter. 

“Jelly?” he said quickly, grabbing her hand. “Nurse!” he called out and a couple hurried over and a few minutes later, she opened her eyes. She immediately started to struggle, the tube down her throat confusing her when she tried to say something. “It’s ok sis,” Jughead said quickly. “Calm down before you hurt yourself. You’re okay.” She settled and looked at him with wide eyes and he nodded and smiled. “Let them work, you’re okay.”

He stepped back and soon Jellybean was surrounded by doctors and nurses, all trying to get answers. He retreated to the family room and waited. He called Betty and his father and they came immediately and after a couple of hours, the doctor finally came in the room. He smiled and Jughead wanted to weep. 

“She’s awake, she’s stable and we were able to remove the tube and she is talking. She’s confused of course and has no recollection of what happened. She is able to move her right arm and leg but the left takes a lot of effort to get even a slight wiggle and that is due to the swelling on her spine. We’ll know if she’ll gain full mobility when the swelling goes down but I think we can safely say that she’s out of danger,” he said with a smile. “One of you can go on in.” 

“Go ahead dad,” Jughead said, stepping back. FP followed the doctor and Jughead sank down on the couch, his head in his hands. Betty sat beside him and grabbed his arm.

“She’s going to be okay, Juggie,” she said happily and he could only nod as he tried to keep it together but it didn’t work and then he was sobbing in relief. Betty tried to blink back her tears as she wrapped her arms around him but failed and they fell down her face. He clung to her and the fear and anxiety that he’d been carrying for days finally eased.

When he was finally able to go in, he found her in much the same position she had been in all week but there was no tube down her throat and half the monitors were gone. She was still pale and didn’t look much better but her eyes were open and she gave a tiny smile.

“Hey sis,” he breathed, sitting on the edge of her bed. “It’s good to see you.” 

“I’m sor – sorry,” she managed to strangle out and he shook his head, taking her hand.

“No, JB, don’t do that. You don’t need to be sorry,” Jughead said firmly. “I’m just so damn happy you’re awake and alive. I can’t even…” his voice broke and she squeezed his hand, her own eyes filling with tears. “I prayed, no, I begged God all week that he wouldn’t take you; that he wouldn’t take you to be with Sam….” She tried to shake her head but the movement caused her pain and she just squeezed his hand harder. “I know that’s selfish of me, that I wanted to keep you with me longer because I’m not done telling you how sorry I am about letting him die, I’m not done making amends…”

“Stop,” she whispered, tears slipping from her eyes. “I’ve let Sam go, Jay. I’ve let him go and you need to let him go too.” Just saying those few words seemed to exhaust her and she closed her eyes. She took a breath to say more. “You have another Sam that you need to worry about,” she whispered. Jughead nodded and leaned down, pressing his cheek to hers. “I love you Jay.”

“I love you too,” he said, his heart feeling lighter than it had in years. "Me and you, we do well at dodging bullets."

"Well, you don't," she teased. "You forgot to dodge like seven of them." Jughead laughed and kissed her cheek.

 

Jughead and Betty stayed in Toledo another week and Jellybean steadily improved. She gained full mobility and while it was slow and painful, she was able to move all parts of her body and they couldn’t have been more grateful. When she was finally moved into a private room, they brought little Sam to see her and she cried with happiness.

“I’m going to spoil you so much,” she said with a laugh and he giggled at her and waved his arms in excitement. “And auntie needs to get all better so we can get your parents, married, yeah?” she added with a smile. 

“As soon as you can manage, we’ll start planning because I refuse to do this without you,” Betty said firmly and JB nodded eagerly. It was a wonderful reason to push through her healing.

 

 

It was two months after Sam’s first birthday that Jughead could finally marry the love of his life. It was a beautiful summer day, the temperature was perfect and he had to admit, Betty and Jellybean had outdone themselves. The woods behind their ranch cabin had been turned into a beautiful wonderland with flowers everywhere and twinkling lights in the trees. 

Jellybean had made a full recovery; the only remains on her accident injuries was the scar on her head which couldn't be seen due to her hair, but it was a reminder to them all how close they had been to losing her. She still suffered headaches and kept making jokes that now they really bonded and had things in common. Almost dying and suffering headaches after. He wasn’t sure where the humor was but it was her way of dealing sometimes and he let her have it.

Jughead was feeling good. He had been worried because the previous month had been stressful with Sam developing a reoccurring ear infection and Betty getting the flu right in the middle of it and he had basically been in charge all while he seemed to hit some kind of writers block that had never happened in his life and he felt overwhelmed and insomnia became his friend which led to a few days of feeling like he was falling apart but he had managed to hold it together came out the other side just needing some sleep and now he felt great. Once he got his writing groove back, he made extra sure to write about the benefits of therapy because without it, he was sure he’d be back in his little cabin living in misery.

“So, you ready to get shackled to Betty?” Kevin asked behind him and Jughead turned away from the window and smiled. 

“Never been more ready than anything in my life,” he grinned. Kevin walked over and adjusted his tie for him.

“You sure you wanna marry her? I mean, I can make myself single if you’ll make yourself available,” he said with a wink and a laugh. 

“Kevin, even if I was gay, you’re like my brother and that would just be weird,” Jughead informed him.

“Well, it was worth a try,” Kevin sighed and got another laugh in return. “I think I’ll go see how our Betty is doing,” he added.

“My Betty,” Jughead corrected. “My Betty.”

“Only because I let you have her,” Kevin insisted.

“Isn’t it more like you let her have me?” Jughead asked. The other man’s laughter reached back to him as he left the room.

 

 

“Wow, you look amazing.”

Betty turned and smiled at Kevin as he came into the room. She turned back to the mirror and watched JB adjust her dress around her feet. 

“Thank you, Kevin,” she said softly, lifting a hand to smooth back her curls. She had left most of it down, pinning some of it back and her gown was simple A-line shoulder strap dress that hugged her body down to the thigh and then flared gently into a skirt that sat on the floor around her. “How is Jughead?”

“Excited and gorgeous as usual,” he said with a sigh. “He won’t leave you for me, so I guess I’ll allow this wedding to take place.” 

“Oh for God’s sake,” Betty laughed, smacking his arm. “As if a wedding will stop you from hitting on him.”

“Well, a man can dream, can’t he? Except he just called me his brother and now he ruined the fantasy.” At this, Jellybean joined the laughter. “Where’s the little guy?” he asked.

“My mother has him. I think she’s with FP in the living room downstairs. Are people finding their way to the back?”

“Yup, no worries. It’s an odd mix of Riverdale snobs and Toledo bikers,” Kevin laughed.

“Well, people in Riverdale love Jughead since he started his hilarious column about life in a small town. They find it an accomplishment to have themselves mentioned in his articles and he was okay with inviting a few of them and having a bit of a crowd. The bikers he’s used to,” Betty explained.

“So, I was going to tell you that I saw Archie the other day. He’s back in town for a bit to spend some time with his dad and I might have sort of told him to come,” Kevin said slowly.

“Wow, I haven’t seen him in a few years. I don’t mind, as long as he doesn’t bring Veronica and yes I know she’s in Europe but I wouldn’t put it past her to show up anyway,” Betty said with an eyeroll.

“As far as I know, he’s coming alone. He and Veronica have been done for a couple of years already. Apparently Reggie called him up and confessed all his sins.”

“Wow, Reggie going for redemption?” she asked in surprise. “Maybe he’ll finally figure out what he wants in life because he can’t seem to find it.”

“Ma ma ma,” a sweet little voice interrupted and Betty turned and smiled as Sam made his way toward her, stumbling a few times on his way, Alice following close behind. He had been walking for a few months but was still in too much of a hurry to not face plant constantly. She picked him up and wet his cheek with a kiss.

“Hi handsome,” she exclaimed, brushing his unruly hair back. “Are you ready for your ride in the wagon?” Sam clapped his hands in delight and then reached for Jellybean who had indeed become the best auntie in the world. 

“We’re going to go get ready and leave you to it,” she said softly. She left with Sam and Kevin and left Betty alone with Alice.

“You look stunning,” her mother said, her eyes misting with tears. “I’m so sorry Betty, that Hal and your sister couldn’t bother themselves to come. My heart hurts for you.”

“Oh mom,” Betty whispered, taking her hands. “I don’t care about them and I only invited them because it was the right thing to do. I knew they wouldn’t come and I don’t care. I have you, Kevin, JB, FP, Sam, Jughead; I don’t need them.”

“I’m so proud of you,” Alice said tearfully, touching Betty’s face. “I’m proud of the woman you’ve become and the mother you’ve become and Jughead couldn’t ask for a better wife. You’re so amazing with him and I’m so very proud of you.” Betty nodded and blinked furiously so she wouldn’t cry and ruin her makeup even though JB had told her she could cry because it was swim proof, she didn’t want to start crying before the wedding.

There was a rush of activity and then Betty found herself behind two wooden doors that Jughead had made at the edge of the aisle. He had also fashioned the benches everyone was sitting on and the beautiful arch that was decorated with flowers where they would exchange their vows. He had gone all out and it had taken him weeks but it looked amazing. Alice had insisted that she walk down the isle alone because she had belonged to Jughead for a while now and there was no need for her to _give her away_ and she took her seat in the front next to FP. 

Betty waited and smiled at the ooh’s and aah’s when Jellybean walked with Kevin down the aisle, pulling Sam down with them in the wagon. The sign at the back that JB had insisted on _Here comes the Bride_ had everyone laughing and gushing over the cuteness of it. When the violinist started playing the music and the doors opened, Betty was waiting with a smile on her face. Jughead stood with the priest and he looked gorgeous. She rarely saw him dressed up and the suit he was wearing, with his unruly curl falling across his forehead made her heart race. He was all hers and today, she would seal the deal.

 

Jughead watched as Betty walked toward him, a lovely bouquet of calla lilies in her hands and a smile on her face. She took his breath away and he found himself choking up as he watched her. The dress shimmered around her and he knew he would never forget this moment for the rest of his life. When she finally reached him, he took her hand and moved with her to stand in front of the priest and he honestly paid no attention to what was being said as he got lost in the brilliant green of her eyes. Once the formalities were done, as they had chosen a very simple ceremony, it was time to recite their vows. They had done away with the tradition of writing vows and decided to just speak from their heart, in the moment and just share their feelings. Jughead went first.

“Betty,” he began, his voice shaky and emotional. “My lady of the woods.” She smiled bigger at that and squeezed his hands. “First of all, wow. You are so beautiful, it hurts my eyes,” he exclaimed and she let out a tearful giggle and blushed. He took a moment and then locked his eyes with hers before he began. “You quite literally fell into my life and I am so thankful that you got lost and ended up at my little cabin in the woods. You scared me at first, all the feelings I was suddenly having and told myself that I didn’t deserve to have, I didn’t know what to do with them. I was afraid to let you see me, to see the real me because I was sure you would run and not look back, but you stayed. You stayed and you loved me and honestly, you saved my life, Betts, in more ways than one. I heard a statement once, that stayed with me and it went like this -- _To be fully seen by somebody, then, and be loved somehow; this is a human offering that can border on miraculous_ and that is how I feel with you. You saw me, all the good and all the ugly parts that I never wanted anybody to see and you loved me anyway. That is the greatest miracle of my life. That and the beautiful son you gave me. Something I thought I didn’t want and now I couldn’t imagine not having him in my life. I thought I was destined to live and die alone and then I found you and even though our life isn’t perfect and sometimes it’s hard, I couldn’t do it without you and I promise to love you for the rest of my life.”

“I love you,” she whispered, as he lifted his hand and wiped a tear from her cheek. 

“Your turn,” he grinned. 

“Jughead,” Betty began after taking a deep breath. “My handsome Juggie. You are gorgeous and honestly, I can’t wait to get you alone.” He grinned and the guests laughed as she bit her lip and told him with her eyes that she meant every word. 

“Go on, before I take you up on that,” he whispered and even the priest let out a chuckle.

“ _In all the world, there is no heart for me like yours. In all the world, there is no love for you like mine,”_ Betty began. “Maya Angelou said that and there is no better way to describe how I feel about us. As scary as being lost was, being found by you was also scary, in the best way possible. I never knew it was possible to fall in love so fast, but I did. In a matter of days, I already knew I was lost, not in the woods, but in you. You had my heart from day one and I don’t ever want it back. You were this beautiful tortured soul, hiding away from the world and carrying that world on your shoulders and thinking you weren’t good enough, but you had and still have the most beautiful heart of anyone I’ve ever met. So kind, so loyal, so loving. You will carry every burden for everyone, just so they feel no pain. You are brilliant at everything you attempt whether it’s writing, hitting a target or making things out of wood. You are the most amazing father and I know our child will never doubt that his father loves him. I feel honored that you want me as your wife and I hope I can be all you need and all you want.” Jughead was nodding, his eyes filled with tears and reassuring her that she was. “I don’t know how to express how much I love you and I could sit here and talk about all the things in my heart for more time than anyone wants to sit and listen but just know that as you said, I will love you for the rest of _my_ life.”

Jughead grabbed her face and kissed her, not caring that they weren’t at that part yet and she laughed tearfully into his mouth. The priest cleared his throat and Jughead stepped back and looked at him sheepishly.

“Sorry, couldn’t help myself,” he muttered and was met with peals of laughter from their guests. The priest finished out the ceremony and they grinned through their _I do’s_ and exchanging of their diamond circled bands and then once again, Jughead could kiss his bride. He kissed her again, deeply and in dramatic fashion ended it in a dip and lifting her off her feet and hugged her tight. 

“Da da da,” Sam suddenly started to yell from FP’s lap and he put him down and the boy made his way to his father and was picked up and hugged as well.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. and Mrs. Cooper Jones.” While Betty had wanted to just take his name, Jughead had suggested they both hyphenate because they were a unit and no parts are left behind. She had laughed at that but agreed. The cheers were loud as they walked back down the aisle followed by Kevin and JB. Once they got to the back, Kevin leaned in.

“Heads up, Archie brought Reggie as his date,” he said with a grimace.

“Seriously?” Betty exclaimed in surprise. She looked at Jughead and he shrugged.

“Both those morons passed you up, let them eat their hearts out,” he said with a grin. Betty rolled her eyes and he kissed her again until she was breathless.

The guests moved to have drinks while they took pictures all over the ranch. The party was set up through the trees and by the lake and soon it was in full swing. The wedding feast consisted of steak and seafood and all that went with it and many drinks. After the speeches and the toasts and the first dances, the party really got underway. Alice, who wasn’t much of a partier, volunteer to take care of Sam, who by 9:30 was asleep and cuddled against his father as he held him while sitting and visiting with Kevin and Joaquin. 

“I’m going to take him home,” she said softly as he handed him to her, taking care not to wake him. “Give you and your new bride a night of privacy.” 

“Thanks Alice, I appreciate it,” Jughead said, getting up and giving her a hug. She went to say her goodbyes and when Betty had kissed Sam goodbye, Jughead took her hand and led her to the dance floor. “I would like to dance with my wife,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. As he held her close and they swayed to the music, she rested her cheek against his chest and closed her eyes. “Have you thought any about where you’d like to go for a little honeymoon?” he asked after a while.

“Oh, well, I took care of that,” she said softly. Jughead pulled back in surprise and looked at her. 

“Tell me,” he demanded softly.

“Well, there is a certain hot spring that I’d like to visit and this little cabin in the woods that I wouldn’t mind spending a few days in,” she said with a smile. Jughead raised his eyebrows at that.

“Sweetheart, that cabin has been deserted and closed up for what, 3 years? It’s going to be rather musty.”

“Well, yes, I realized that and that’s why you father and Kevin and Joaquin when there last week for a couple of days and got it ready for us.”

“Really?” Jughead asked in surprise, a grin spreading across his face. “A few days alone with you back at our cabin? I have a very sexy memory of that hot spring,” he said with a gleam in his eye and she blushed, remembering their wild time there.

“Maybe even a whole week,” she promised and he smiled even bigger. They settled in again to dance and after a couple of minutes as another song started, she felt Jughead go still against her.

“I’m not sure I like what I’m seeing over there,” he said, his voice irritated. Betty looked at him confused and followed his gaze. Sitting on one of the loveseats that were spread around the area sat Reggie and Jellybean and she stopped in surprise. Reggie looked completely smitten and Jellybean, well she seemed flushed and was giggling a lot.

“Oh shit,” Betty muttered as she watched them. 

“You’ve talked hours with my sister since you’ve met her, haven’t you ever mentioned Reggie?” he asked.

“I’m sure I did, but I don’t exactly talk about old boyfriends with anybody. What should we do?” she asked, chewing her lip.

“I don’t know, she….well fuck,” Jughead sighed.

“What?” 

“She looks happy and it’s been so long since I’ve seen her like that,” he admitted as he watched the pair.

“Okay, that’s all well and good, but don’t you think it’s weird? I mean, he’s….and his reputation…” Betty said regretfully. “I’m going to talk to her. I’ll give her the facts and I guess after that, there isn’t much we can do. She’s an adult and let’s hope this is a fun wedding thing and she’s just having a good time.” Betty walked over to the pair and Reggie smiled at her.

“Congrats Betty,” he offered. “Nobody deserves this more than you.”

“Thank you, now, I need to borrow JB for a moment,” she said with a smile, taking the other woman’s hand. Jellybean stood and walked off to the side with her and when they had some privacy, Betty turned to her.

“I know what you’re going to say,” JB quickly blurted. “He’s bad news and I shouldn’t even talk to him.” Betty looked at her in surprise.

“Well, I wasn’t going to say that exactly, but why did you assume I would say that?”

“Because he told me you would when I asked if he would like to go for dinner tomorrow.”

“JB,” Betty sighed.

“I know what he did Betty. He gave me the run down and yeah, he doesn’t seem like he’s much of a stand up guy but he’s really funny and im enjoying his company.”

“Sweetie, he’s my ex boyfriend, my first time, cheated on me, cheated with my best friend on her boyfriend for years, he’s just…..look, he is a nice guy when you’re talking to him, but he’s not really good boyfriend or dating material. Even if he’s changed, which I’ll admit, from what I’m hearing, he’s trying to not be such an ass and figuring out what he wants, it’s just weird.”

“I know,” JB said softly, looking down at her hands. When she looked back up, her eyes looked a little glassy and Betty felt bad. “I haven’t let myself even talk to a guy since Sam and I’ve certainly not been interested in having dinner with one, but I just, it felt easy with him when I started talking to him. He’s very sweet and I haven’t laughed so much in a long time. It felt good, you know? I didn’t even realize who he was until after he started making my heart race,” she finished, looking slightly panicked.

“Oh Lord,” Betty sighed, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. 

“Is Jughead going to kill him?” JB suddenly asked, concerned. Betty turned to look and saw Jughead talking to Reggie and he seemed irritated and like he wanted to punch him. Reggie was talking as well and Betty was surprised to see he looked about as panicked as Jellybean. When he finished talking, Jughead just glared at him and stormed over to Betty and JB. He took Betty’s hand and glared at his sister.

“If he hurts you, I’m going to break his fucking neck,” he fumed and walked away, pulling Betty with him.

“Jughead, what did he say?” Betty asked, thankful she had taken her heels off as she ran to keep up.

“He said she’s making his heart race,” he snapped. Betty stopped and stared at him and he turned to her and glared. She really couldn’t help it and she started to laugh. She laughed so hard, she had to bend over and hold her stomach.

“Please explain to me what you find funny?” Jughead sighed.

“We’re going to have Christmases with my ex,” she gasped out, unable to stop her laughter.

“I fucking know people,” Jughead growled. “I can have him disappear.”

“Okay, maybe it will just be a fling to get her back into dating again,” Betty said, struggling to speak.

“Betty, he fucking said she glows.”

“She glows?” Betty started laughing again.

“What is so funny?” he demanded.

“My ex is falling for your sister,” she gasped out and she just couldn’t stop laughing. Jughead just stared at her and then rolled his eyes.

“Christmases are going to be fucking hell,” he grumbled and pulled her along again.

 

A long while later, after the last of the guests had left and Reggie, thankfully with Archie and JB with FP, Jughead carried his bride into the house and up the stairs to their bedroom. They gasped in surprise when they walked and realized someone had taken the liberty to get the room ready for them. It was lit with candles, the sheets turned down, a bottle of wine with glasses next to the bed. Jughead set her down and she wasted no time because she had been aching for him all day.

She turned to Jughead and ran her hands into his hair and pulled his head down for a heavy, open mouth kiss. His lips were warm, his tongue wet and hot and he groaned, his hands sliding down and moving over her backside, pulling her against him. He lifted her and she felt his arousal, already hard and heavy in his pants. Jughead walked with her to the center of the room and pulled away, gasping for breath. His hand was slowly pulling up the hem of her wedding dress and she giggled and stepped back. 

“It’s probably best to just take the dress off,” she suggested, turning so he could pull down the zipper. He lifted the material off her shoulders and it slid down her arms and pooled at her feet. She grinned as he stared at her white lingerie, his fingers trailing over her skin. She lifted her hands to the buttons of his shirt and held his gaze as she slowly undid them, pushing his shirt aside, running her hands over his skin. She let her fingers trail over his chest, down over his stomach, liking the way the muscle contracted under her touch. His body still took her breath away and she loved touching it. 

Jughead lowered his head and rested his forehead against hers, his breathing hitched beside her ear and she loved how she was able to make him tremble with desire. She moved her hand up to his shoulders, slipping them under his shirt and taking it off. It fell to the floor and she moved to the button of his pants. Once she had them undone, he took her hands and moved them back to his chest.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispered before his mouth came down on hers. Betty wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself against him. Both his hands held her face and his mouth moved hungrily over hers, his tongue wrapping around hers. Betty pulled herself up and wrapped her legs around him, wanting him closer. 

“Bed,” she moaned into his mouth. “Now.” They stumbled over to it and fell onto the sheets. He leaned over her, his mouth moving down her neck, sucking the skin where her pulse fluttered wildly. His mouth moved across her chest and his fingers pulled her bra down, her breasts spilling free, teasing her, his mouth moving slowly around the swell until she was pulling his hair to get his mouth where she wanted it. Jughead laughed softly as his tongue raked over the nipple and she moaned and arched into him. She could feel his arousal pressed against her and her whole body felt like it was on fire and she pressed against him, desperate to ease the ache. She reached behind her and flung her bra away and he continued laving his tongue over the peaks.

“Please,” she whimpered, her head pressing into the pillow. Jughead swirled his tongue around her nipple and sucked her into his mouth and her ragged groan made his arousal twitch. 

“What do you need, Betty,” he asked gruffly. “Tell me.” His hand moved down between her legs, moving her lace aside and stroking his fingers over her. "Damn, you're so fucking wet," he groaned. 

“Your mouth Jug,” she pleaded. “Please.” Jughead kissed her again and slowly moved down her body, his tongue dragging between her breast and down over her stomach. His hands pulled down her panties and hurriedly parted her thighs. He kissed each thigh and sucked on the skin in the crease where her leg met her torso and she lifted her hips, needing more. When he raked his tongue over her, Betty sobbed at the pleasure that raced through her. 

“You taste good.” He growled against her glistening flesh. His words made her stomach clench and she felt her body begin to shake. His tongue swirled around her clit and then moved down and pressed inside her. 

“Oh my god,” she gasped, her hand clenching his hair. He groaned against her and did it again. He moved back to her clit and his fingers slid inside her, curling while he sucked on her and Betty didn’t even have time to prepare as she shattered in release. “Jug!” she cried out, bucking against him. He worked her through it and then his tongue lazily started again smiling against her as she moaned and whimpered, her sounds arousing him to a fever pitch. 

She shook as he slowly lapped at her and then she moved suddenly, pulling at him and he leaned up, and then found himself on his back as she straddled him, her mouth devouring his. He hands tangled in her hair and he kissed her back, letting her taste herself. She started to kiss her way down his chest, her teeth raking him and his breath hissed out at the sharp delicate pain. Betty reached his stomach and her hands went to push down his pants and boxers, and he kicked them off and groaned when her hand wrapped around him. She held his gaze as she slowly lowered her head. There was no teasing as she wrapped her mouth around him and took him deep. 

“Fuck,” he groaned, his hands clenching in her hair, the silky feel of it over his thighs only adding to the pleasure her mouth gave him. Her tongue wrapped around him as she worked him, her head bobbing up and down and Jughead felt himself lose control and he quickly grabbed her and pulled her up. She moaned in protest, shaking her head at him.

“I want…”

“Fuck, I need to be inside you, I want to come with you wrapped all around me,” he gasped. She whimpered at his words and he rolled her and moved between her legs, both of them shaking and desperate and he stroked her with his fingers before brushing his arousal over her once, twice and then he thrust deep inside her. Betty’s head fell back and her nails dug into his arms, her legs coming up around his waist. Jughead took her mouth, his tongue mimicking his body and thrusting into her mouth and she kissed him eagerly, the sounds she was making driving him crazy. She pulled back and her eyes went wide and he felt her body tighten.

“No,” he growled. “Don’t come yet,” he begged, slowly his movements and she whimpered in protest. “Not yet,” he whispered, slowly to an agonizing slow push and pull. 

“Dammit, Jug,” she moaned and bit his shoulder and raked her nails over his back. Jughead grabbed her hands and held them over her head, lifting her chest to him and he covered her nipple and suckled and her eyes rolled back and she shuddered. He picked up the pace again and he couldn’t hold back, slamming into her again and again and he felt her begin to shake and tighten again and he lifted his head to watch her face. He moved his hand between them and stroked against her and she fell apart, her body clenching long and hard on him. 

Watching her face and feeling her body clenching on him triggered his own and he let out a low growl as his body stiffened, his release spilling into her, his whole body shuddering in pleasure. “Fuck,” he groaned, the pleasure licking through his abdomen as he moved through it. He fell against her and she clung to him with her arms and legs, not wanting him to move away from her.

“Holy shit, that was good,” she groaned, her body still fluttering around him. He only grunted against her neck and she laughed softly, her fingers sliding through his hair. Eventually he rolled and settled beside her, both of them breathing heavily. 

“We’re married,” he said softly, when his breathing was calm. Betty smiled and snuggled into his side, throwing her leg over his. 

“There’s no getting rid of me now,” she teased.

“Don’t you worry, that’s not something I’m going to ever let happen,” he murmured softly. “I promise to make you happy for the rest of our lives. Except when I piss you off, but all the other times, I’m going to make you happy.” Betty giggled and kissed his chin. 

“I know, love.”

“You know, I was thinking today,” he began, his hand moving up and down her back. “I was holding Sam and he was grinning at me and I wondered how it would feel to have another little one grinning at me. How it would feel to burst with love for two instead of one.” Betty lifted her head in surprise and stared at him.

“Jug?”

“I thought maybe once Sam is potty trained, we could try for another?”

“Are you serious?” she asked, her eyes filling with tears. 

“Only if you want to.” She leaned up and kissed him and then she kissed him again. 

“Are you sure?” she whispered. “You want another baby? Maybe we should wait until he’s a little older so it’s not so overwhelming and I don’t just mean for you but for both of us.”

“I don’t care when we do it, but I would definitely love to have another,” he said with a smile. 

“Okay,” she grinned. She rolled on her back and pulled him with her until he was settled between her legs. “Now, it’s our wedding night and I plan on having a lot of sex and then we’re going to go to the cabin and have a lot of sex there,” she informed him.

“Well, fuck,” Jughead laughed. “I’m not going to protest that idea.” 

Soon, he was licking wine off her skin and their sheets got stained, and their bodies were sweaty and trembling and it was the most glorious night they had had in a while.


End file.
